Object Description
This beautiful antique porcelain plaque exhibits the fine quality of craftsmanship and artistry that the prestigious Berlin porcelain manufactory, KPM, is renowned for.
The plaque is delicately painted with the full-length portrait of Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810), Queen of Prussia and wife of King William III (1770-1840). Louise was a popular Queen and was respected for her successful negotiations with Napoleon, before he became Emperor of France. In this plaque, she is depicted descending the steps of the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, which was the seat of the Prussian monarchy. She wears a simple robe a l’anglaise, which was fashionable at the time, and looks directly at the viewer in a symbol of power and majesty.
The plaque is signed to the lower right by the artist ‘Emile Eckhart’, who worked for KPM. It is painted after a famous work by celebrated German artist Gustav Karl Ludwig Richter (1823-1884), who was a leading artist of the time in the field of portraiture. The original painting hangs in the Museum of Cologne.
The plaque is set in a carved, Rococo style, giltwood frame. The reverse is impressed with the sceptre mark for KPM, and intriguingly also features various sketches and French inscriptions, adding to the charm and history of the work.
Frame: Height 46.5cm, width 32cm, depth 2cm
Plaque: Height 40cm, width 26cm